


And I Wonder...

by NoFlowzakBozak



Series: Everlong [1]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Chicago Blackhawks, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, NHL, too much fluff to handle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-24
Updated: 2013-11-24
Packaged: 2018-01-02 13:46:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1057494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoFlowzakBozak/pseuds/NoFlowzakBozak
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>...if everything could ever feel this real forever</p>
            </blockquote>





	And I Wonder...

The Hawks sat in the rooms after a hard fought loss to the Ducks, quiet and solemn. They had copped their 'Be Better' speech from Jonny, and were changing and beginning to file out. When he was done with the media, Jonny went back to the ice and skated. He skated out his frustrations. And while he skated, he thought.

 

He thought about the team, missed shots, wasted penalties. And he thought about Patrick. His enthusiastic, talented, bright, _gorgeous_ teammate and best friend. He didn’t mean to, he just got so caught up on Pat's infectious smile, his blonde curls, his sparkling blue eyes. He thought about Pat's jawline, tracing it with a finger, his collarbones, his neck, kissing and sucking on it, Pat's _mouth,_ his beautiful, red mouth, crushed against Jonny's- no, he wasn't. He wasn't thinking that _at all_. Abruptly, he decided that was enough skating and returned to the rooms to shower off.

 

He emerged from the showers with a towel wrapped around his waist and went to his stall to get changed, expecting to be alone. He wasn't. Patrick was sitting in his stall in his pads, hunched over, face in hands.

"Pat?" Jonny asked softly. Patrick looked up at him, eyes red. He forced a smile.

"Hey Jonny. What're you still doing here?" he tried to say lightly, but choking on the words.

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied gently. _Goddammit, how do you deal with crying teammates? Especially ones who are breaking your heart?_

Pat rubbed at an eye with his palm. "I just...I get so...so _bothered_ , you know? By losses sometimes. I...I missed so many shots, and some shit passes…" he trailed off.

Jonny wanted to hold him close, kiss the top of his head, do whatever it took to get Pat's smile back. He stuck to talking. "It's no-one's fault when we lose, Patrick. You played really hard today. Everyone made mistakes." Patrick nodded.

"Well, thanks. I should probably go, let you get changed and stuff."

"You could- if you wanted to- my place is always open, okay?"

Patrick nodded again, then turned around to get the rest of his gear off in silence.

 

Jonny was busying himself with making something to eat when his phone rang. _Who the hell calls after 10pm?_ Patrick did, apparently.

"Hey, Jonny?" He sounded upset.

"Pat, what's wrong. You okay?"

"No, just. I'm- I'm coming over, alright?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm not busy."

Patrick hung up. Jonny stared at his phone in shock. What was upsetting Pat now? Was it still the loss? He looked down at his Hawks sweats. Was this appropriate? _Kaner_ was coming to his _condo._ He mentally slapped himself. Patrick always visited him. Just, this time, he was really upset about something. Jonny made himself just breathe, calm down. He paced around the kitchen, picking up his phone, putting it back down, washing and drying a knife three times. About ten minutes later, a knock on his door set his heart racing. He walked up the hallway, composing himself, unaware that, on the other side, Patrick was doing the same thing. Nervously, he let Patrick in.

 

Pat still looked awful. Gorgeous, as always, but terrible. He looked up at Jonny, tears in his eyes, and rushed forwards into Jonny's chest, grabbing handfuls of his sweater and crying into his chest. Jonny, stunned, just wrapped his arms around Patrick. _Bloody hell, I don’t know how to do this._

"Pat…do you wanna talk?"

Patrick nodded.

"Well…why- what's wrong?"

"I got dumped," was all he offered.

Jonny was shocked. "I didn’t know you had a girlfriend."

Patrick shook his head. "I don't- I didn't."

Jonny thought for a moment. Then, "Oh." He didn't ask for any more, just held Patrick until he was ready. Nervously, wondering how close to the borders of 'Captain' and 'Best Friend' he was willing to push this, he rested his cheek on Patrick's curls. Softly, Jonny said into Patrick's hair, "If it makes it any better, I don’t know why anyone would want to break up with you. You're brilliant, and I promise one day you'll find someone who cares about you properly, like you deserve."

"You think so?" Patrick sniffed.

"I know so." Jonny released Patrick then, and led him to the couch. "Tea?"

Patrick smiled a little. "Tea doesn’t fix everything, Jonny."

"It makes it feel better," Jonny defended. He left Patrick on the couch to go make two teas.

He returned, handing a mug to Patrick and sprawling out next to him, tea in on hand, the other arm draped over the top of the sofa. Patrick curled up, wrapping both hands around the steaming mug and blowing on it, before taking a sip. He smiled at Jonny over the mug.

"You're right. It does make it a little better."

Jonny just nodded. "T.V.?"

"Sure."

"There's food in the fridge, if you want."

Patrick put his drained mug down on the coffee table and raced to the freezer. _There's the Pat I know._ Jonny took another mouthful of his tea, waiting for Patrick to find his stash.

"Jonny!" came the cry from the freezer. _Here it comes._ "Ben and Jerry's isn't in your diet!" _There it is._

"It's maple," Jonny responded, like that justified it.

"Canadian," was the mutter from the freezer. But Patrick still returned to the couch with the tub in his hand and a spoon in his mouth. He sat down next to Jonny. _Closer?_ Jonny shrugged it off as wishful thinking.

"Thor? More like Kostka!" Patrick said in response to the T.V. Jonny smiled. Evidently, Patrick was feeling better.

"Hey, that's kinda my favourite, most expensive ice cream. Maybe, lay off it?" Jonny asked hopefully.

Patrick pulled the tub in close to his chest and stuck another spoonful in his mouth defiantly. Jonny rolled his eyes. "At least share."

Patrick deemed Jonny worthy of sharing  _Jonny's_ ice cream with. "Whatever."

Jonny went to get up to grab another spoon, but was stopped by Patrick's hand on his sleeve. "Don't need to dirty another one," he said, offering the spoon up to Jonny. Jonny raised an eyebrow, then took the offered spoon. With his mouth. Might as well cross _all_ the lines. Patrick just grinned at him, looking a little startled. Jonny grinned back. They shared the rest of the ice cream like this. "The best thing to come out of Canada," according to Patrick.

"I thought I was the best thing to come out of Canada," Jonny mocked. Patrick snorted, not even glorifying that with a proper response. He put the empty tub on the coffee table, alongside the dirty cups, and settled in to watch the rest of Thor.

 

About halfway through, Jonny realised Patrick had fallen asleep on his outstretched torso. _What was I saying about lines?_ Jonny thought, a little hysterically. He let Patrick sleep like this for a few more minutes, then gently shook him awake. Patrick blinked up at him sleepily, yawning, and pushed himself upright. "You can't sleep like that, you'll get a crook neck," Jonny told him. Patrick nodded, looking put-out. Jonny wondered at that.

"Hey, can I stay here tonight? It’s kinda late."

Jonny's heart raced. _YES SAY YES IDIOT._ "Um, I don't have anywhere for you to sleep."

"Well," Patrick started, going a little red. "I don’t mind sleeping in your bed, if you don't. I mean, beats falling asleep at the wheel."

_Shit yes._ "Sure, I don’t mind."

 

By the time the movie was finished, Patrick was asleep again, this time on Jonny's shoulder, face pressed into his neck. Jonny enjoyed that more than he cared to admit to himself. He let Patrick sleep, but gently, delicately, removed himself from under Patrick and laid him down on the couch. He stood up, contemplating waking Patrick. He decided against it, putting his arms under Patrick's sleeping figure and carrying him, bridal-style, to his room, resting Patrick's head against his shoulder. He sat Patrick down on the bed and wrestled him out of his shirt. Patrick didn't like sleeping with shirts on. Jonny tucked him under the sheets and stood, looking down at his peaceful, sleeping face for a time. He abandoned all inhibitions, disregarding consequences, and stooped down to press a gentle, lingering kiss to Patrick's soft, slightly parted lips. He turned around, stripping down to his boxers, and climbed into his side of the bed, back to Patrick.

 

He didn’t see the slight curve of Patrick's smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Open for more..?


End file.
